The Integrated Family Support Service (IFSS)

The Integrated Family Support Service (IFSS) at Northern Suburbs Community Centre (NSCC) provides early intervention and trauma-informed support to vulnerable children, young people, and families across northern Tasmania. The service strengthens family functioning, enhances child and family wellbeing, builds resilience, and reduces the need for statutory child protection intervention.

Through a flexible outreach model, IFSS collaborates with families to identify strengths, address challenges, and achieve their goals. Support is tailored to each family’s unique circumstances and delivered in a culturally safe, inclusive, and responsive manner. The worker provides advocacy, practical assistance, evidence-based parenting support, referrals, and coordinated case planning, helping families navigate complex systems.

A key strength of the program is its collaborative approach, working closely with schools, Child and Family Learning Centres, health professionals, community organisations, NDIS providers, and government services to ensure coordinated support for families with complex needs.

Throughout the year, the service continued to provide intensive, strengths-based support to families experiencing multiple and often interconnected challenges. Support plans were developed collaboratively, recognising each family’s existing strengths while addressing barriers to safety, wellbeing, and social inclusion. Families were assisted to strengthen relationships, improve parenting confidence, build resilience, and increase participation within their communities.

The program is guided by the Tasmanian Child and Youth Wellbeing Framework, which promotes positive outcomes across six key domains, namely: being loved and safe, having material basics, being healthy, learning, participating, and having a positive sense of culture and identity. This framework informs assessment, goal setting, and ongoing review, ensuring support remains focused on the wellbeing of the whole family.

Professional development remained a priority throughout the year, enabling the Family Support Practitioner to continue delivering evidence-informed practice and respond effectively to the increasingly diverse and complex needs of children, young people, and families across the northern suburbs.

One of the greatest strengths of IFSS is its location within Northern Suburbs Community Centre. Whilst much of the work of family support is outreach, there are many opportunities for families to access the Neighbourhood House with the support of the Family Support Practitioner. NSCC provides a welcoming, non-stigmatising environment where families can engage safely and informally. This setting encourages early engagement, particularly for families who may be reluctant to access more traditional services. It is a privilege to see former IFSS families continue engaging with community programs, building relationships, and embracing opportunities for themselves and their children. These ongoing connections contribute to stronger, more resilient families and healthier communities.

The neighbourhood house model also provides opportunities for families to participate in a wide range of programs, activities, educational opportunities, volunteering pathways, and practical supports. These connections often continue well beyond the period of formal case management, helping families remain engaged within their community and strengthening long-term wellbeing.

Research consistently demonstrates that neighbourhood houses are trusted, place-based services that improve access to support, reduce social isolation, increase community participation, and foster positive long-term outcomes for vulnerable families. They provide an important foundation for rebuilding confidence and reconnecting families who have previously disengaged from services or experienced negative interactions with institutions or other organisations. Furthermore, the Australian Institute of Family Studies has consistently identified social support as one of the strongest protective factors for families. Parents with trusted support networks are better equipped to manage stress, seek help early, and provide safe, responsive care for their children. Strong community connections are also associated with lower risks of child harm, family violence, and poor mental health.

During the 2025–2026 financial year, the program received seven new referrals, many involving highly complex family circumstances. The active caseload ranged between eight and eleven families at any given time, supporting approximately 23 to 27 children throughout the year.

Families were referred for a broad range of interconnected issues, including family violence and safety concerns, parenting and relationship difficulties, child development and wellbeing needs, mental health and substance use, housing and financial instability, and barriers to accessing essential services. The complexity of referrals highlights the ongoing need for coordinated, holistic, and flexible family support.

The service maintained excellent outcomes during the reporting period, and client and external stakeholders’ feedback remained exceptionally positive. There was no waiting list for families accessing support and no complaints were received.  Of those surveyed:

• 100% reported satisfaction with the responsiveness of the service to their individual needs.
• 100% were assessed as making progress towards or achieving their identified goals.
• 100% reported improved knowledge and awareness to support themselves and their families.

As community needs continue to evolve, IFSS remains committed to delivering flexible, person-centred support that empowers families to create lasting positive change. The program is an important agent of change for many children, young people, and families, fostering hope, strengthening resilience, and improving wellbeing through compassionate, evidence-based practice.

We look forward to continuing to support vulnerable families and thank the wider NSCC team for their ongoing commitment to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment where families can connect, participate and thrive.